H3 Dynamics to supply EU-funded project with fuel cell systems
Aviation-focused fuel cell developer H3 Dynamics is to supply European Union-funded clean aviation research project HyPoTraDe with its new class of aviation-grade fuel cell systems. The Toulouse-based hydrogen specialist will also guide the commissioning and tests of the fuel cell systems.
Funded by the EU’s Clean Aviation joint undertaking, the HyPoTraDe (Hydrogen fuel cell Power Train Demonstration) consortium was initiated in 2023 to design, assemble and ground-test a set of 500kW modular fuel cell-battery hybrid-electric distributed electric propulsion powertrain architecture. The project’s intention is to then scale the system into the megawatt class.
Data and insights gained from the HyPoTraDe programme will be used to design and integrate hydrogen-electric powertrains into the sub-19 seat (CS-23) category of light aircraft, alongside creating a digital twin to “facilitate an accurate prediction of the performance of future scaled powertrains;” helping to fulfil the Clean Aviation project’s goal of having regional and short-range hydrogen-powered aircraft in operation by 2035.
Co-ordinated by consortium leader Pipistrel, the HyPoTraDe project expects to initiate ground tests on its demonstrator by Q2 2025, which will be completed the following quarter. The digital twin will subsequently be validated before the project concludes at the end of 2025.
